These were South Africa’s hottest Twitter hashtags in 2018

When people weren’t tweeting about South Africa’s political issues, health issues, state issues, or sport, they were tweeting about soapies.

Twitter on Wednesday shared a few insights into the country’s relationship with the social network, including the most popular hashtags, tweets, and conversation topics.

Let’s start with something upbeat: entertainment.

The country’s most talked about show was on Mzanzi Magic. #TheQueenMzanzi “is a South African telenovela created and produced by Ferguson Films about a dedicated wife, mother and successful businesswoman who is forced to do the unthinkable when her husband’s secret comes to light,” notes TVSA.

And yeah, South Africa loves it.

The show beat #DateMyFamily and #OurPerfectWedding to the top spot. Not even #BlackPanther could touch it.

Broadcasting issues topped the biggest news stories of the year too. The struggles at #SABCNews received the most chatter, while #LandExpropriation, #Listeriosis, the #RoyalWedding and the more recent #GlobalCitizen concert rounded out the top five.

#WinnieMandela was the most talked about political figure of 2018, while the #EFF was the most hashtagged party. The #SONA2018, delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa, was the most talked about political moment in South Africa in 2018.

Finally, because South Africa loves sport, the #WorldCup was the most talked about sporting event of the year, and the most shared hashtag in the country in 2018.

Author | Andy Walker: Editor

Camper by day, run-and-gunner by night, Andy prefers his toast like his coffee -- dark and crunchy. Specialising in spotting the next big Instagram cat star, Andy also dabbles in smartphone, gadget and game reviews over on Gearburn. More